Christian Jankowski

And your bird can sing

Helga Maria Klosterfelde Edition is pleased to present Christian Jankowski’s latest edition „And your bird can sing“. This exhibition continues a collaboration of over ten years, in the course of which five editions were produced. Firstly, in 1996 and 1997 „Die Jagd“ (The Hunt) and from 1997 to 2006 the body of work „Magic Circle“, consisting of three series of silkscreen prints: „Mein Leben als Taube“ (My life as a dove), „Flock“ (Flock) and „Direktor Pudel“ (Director Poodle).

Christian Jankowski’s work discusses subjects of artistic creation, -representation and –conveyance. He is not only concerned with a critical reflection of his own role, but also transfers art into new and capricious contexts. Installations, videos, photography, posters and texts are merged in diverse experimental arrangements.

In „And your bird can sing“ the location of such transfer is a factory in China where CD players are serially produced in the shape of mass cultural props. Their forms reach from crash helmets to enlarged soft-drink cans and electronic guitars. The products are utterly removed from their functional means – neither can the guitar be played nor can the helmet be worn. Jankowski, who has originally studied music and played guitar in a rock band in the 80’s, travelled to the factory in China with his own instrument to initialize a contest amongst the factory workers in search of the most outstanding guitar solo.

The 34 soundpieces performed by the participants were separately burned on CD’s and each permanently installed by the artist into one of the CD guitars. The color of the guitar which now reproduces their play was chosen by the soloist.